Grape Juice

As everyone knew, a proposal brought before a meeting was rarely something its author had just thought up and decided to show everyone.

Either most of the people at the meeting had already agreed to support it, and presenting it was merely the final formality.

Or it was certain to fail, and presenting it was still just a formality—a way to make a show of the attempt to outsiders and gain prestige, benefits, or other support beyond the meeting.

Clearly, if Royston Idle's proposal was only being brought out for show, it would accomplish nothing. Few people would support him more because of it, while plenty could be expected to oppose him.

So he had to be confident it would pass.

"How could this happen? Had the Quidditch Committee gone mad? Or had Idle stuffed their pockets with too much money?"

Some were astonished and concluded that the Quidditch Committee was rotten to the core.

"It's not completely incomprehensible. Spectators attacking players happens at almost every Quidditch World Cup."

Others considered the deeper reasons behind the measure:

"There have been cases with serious consequences—players badly injured and forced to retire, or even killed. The Quidditch Committee has tried to ban it again and again, but it keeps happening. Since Idle has proposed a solution, the others probably want to see whether it works."

"But even if they want to try something new, shouldn't they consider whether it's practical? Can a rule like that really be enforced?"

Others were more pragmatic:

"Forcing wizards to hand over their wands? Even the Quidditch Committee couldn't pull that off. What happens when someone tries to force their way in?"

Was the Quidditch Committee going to fight the spectators?

One or two would be manageable. But if a thousand or two thousand spectators all decided